


A Moment in Time

by theabridgedkuriboh



Category: Future Card Buddyfight, Shadowverse (Anime)
Genre: Dark Thoughts, Depression, I wanted to develop the romance further but maybe a sequel story would tell that better, M/M, i really love this ship, it would feel like too much for one story, romance if you try hard enough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24387730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theabridgedkuriboh/pseuds/theabridgedkuriboh
Summary: Ranma loses his connection to Buddyfight after a fight with Yuga, leaving him in darkness and a hatred for the game. He focuses all of his energy into film and photography. Ranma believes that he is happy, but he's only masking the pain in his heart. When a class trip brings Tensei Academy students Ryugasaki Hiiro and Shindo Kazuki to town, Ranma's eyes will be opened thanks to a carefree boy who REALLY loves Shadowverse, and has a smile that makes Magpie sing.
Relationships: Kakogawa Ranma/Ryugasaki Hiiro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	A Moment in Time

**Author's Note:**

> I am trash and fell for this crossover ship by accident so I spent a week writing this story. I love the story around it. It's definitely not complete. It has room for a sequel. A look to the future of Hiiro and Ranma. I already have ideas, and I plan to write it very soon. I hope those of you that read this because curiosity peaked, bless you.

The September rainfall was always the hardest pass time for Ranma. The trembling raindrops hit the ground, soaking everything. The world is gray. Thunder quaking across the skylines. A dreaded feeling of loneliness would overwhelm him to his very core. His heart left heavy. 

At sixteen years old, Ranma expected things to have gotten easier. But they never have. As time passed, it only got harder. Everything reminded him of Yuga: The pizza served at Miko’s place. His notebooks from class. His deck that he hasn’t touched in years. 

Buddyfight was no longer a hobby he cherished. Just as Yuga was gone from his, Buddyfight faded from his life. Card fights and deck cases only reminded him too much of his best friend. He distanced himself from it all. Even going as far as dropping out of Aibo Academy to pursue video editing instead. Leaving behind the dreams he once had of ruling the duel world with Yuga. 

Yuga was 13 when he broke the news to Ranma. That he was moving away. For good. Time had stood still, and his heart stopped with it. His blood ran cold. And his tears were endless. Ranma looks back and wonders what would have happened if he reacted differently. Spoken different words. Acted on different terms. But he knew that it was pointless. The past cannot be changed. And words cannot be taken back. 

Fear overwhelmed Ranma. He saw Yuga once again moving on in a world that no longer included him. He saw Yuga making all new friends. Getting stronger in Buddyfight. And forgetting everything they shared together. His past actions flashing through his mind. He could only feel the past trauma of abandonment and darkness. Only this time, there was no happy ending. 

Ranma remembers the look of distress and heartbreak on Yuga’s face when he spoke. Ranma doesn’t remember what he said, but he knew it was bad. He remembers the disgusting pool of hate in his gut as he roared his feelings. Those dark, ugly words broke every fiber of Yuga as he spoke, yelled, and cried. The things he must have said. The vile, disgusting words. 

Ranma left Yuga where he stood that day. He remembers looking back and seeing Yuga looking at the ground, with dark hollow eyes. Absolute darkness. 

They never spoke again after that. There was one letter that Ranma received in the mail. It remains unopened, sitting in a hollow drawer in his bedroom that was filled with other junk. He was unworthy to read Yuga’s final words. No doubt they were aggressive. A revenge letter, perhaps? Ranma wasn’t sure. He’d rather never learn the truth. 

But things have changed around him ever so slowly since Yuga’s departure. Aibo academy has gained so much publicity from the media about their new Buddyfight courses and upgraded stadium. The stadium has been enhanced to allow other styles of card games now. And soon the school will include new courses for popularized gaming. A grand ordeal in the world of teaching. 

Miko’s pizza shop has been expanded. She and her mother have been working crazy hours with the influx of orders and business. It’s most likely that Miko will take over the business before long. 

As for their other friends, when Ranma left Aibo Academy he purposely lost contact with the others. Subaru and Masato were too painful a reminder for Ranma to speak to them willingly. So he has been avoiding that subject for years. No doubt they’ve long forgotten him by now anyway.

But that was on Ranma. He chose to cut this way. He was destined to be alone. No one left to hurt him. Ever again. 

Ranma heard the shutter of his camera in his ears. An image captured in time. A beautiful magpie looks at the treetops from above. The sunlight peeking through the shivering tree leaves. Ranma lowers his camera from where he sits on a branch below, checking the picture for blurring and quality assurance. An image of hope. Ranma adjusts the settings of his camera and aims for a second shot. 

“Hurry up, Hiiro.” 

Ranma stumbles for a moment, thrown off by the sudden change of atmosphere. He looks down from his tower height. He sees a boy around his age, with black and white mixed hair and a blue school uniform. It looks like the Tensei academy uniform from a town or so over. He was waving an arm and obnoxiously calling for his friend who was lagging behind. Ranma looks over in the other direction. 

He sees the victim of the other’s taunts in question. He was also a Tensei Academy student. He had red and black mixed hair. He was smiling as he ran to catch up. Ranma wasn’t sure what drew him into their presence, but he watched from his perch on the branch. 

“Kazuki~! You should have waited. I was getting a snack from the takoyaki stand.” Hiiro says, showing his friend the delicious snack he had acquired. 

Kazuki smiles and reaches for the takoyaki in question. “Should have said something then. I’m starving!” 

Hiiro eats one as well and they enjoy the snack. However, they were unprepared for the magpie from the nearby tree to perch itself on Hiiro’s head. He jumps slightly and looks up at the bird. Kazuki just watches in confusion. Unsure if he should shoo the bird away or just wait to see what happens. But Hiiro didn’t seem to mind. He feeds the magpie a takoyaki and the bird seems happy with his offering. 

Ranma’s heart flutters from his hiding place as Hiiro begins to laugh. A radiant smile from ear to ear. The sunset hit him just right. He was sunshine personified. Just like Yuga. Instinctively, he reaches for his camera and aligns the shot. 

_ Click.  _

The branch snaps. Ranma yelps as he falls to the ground and lands on his back. Everything felt heavy. His head felt like it was spinning. He remembers hearing the shuffling of grass. And sun-gold eyes looking over him in distress before he slipped out of consciousness. 

* * *

_ “...he….tree?...fall…”  _

Ranma can hear voices in the darkness of his slumber. He can feel warmth around him. 

_ “...okay?...camera…”  _

Ranma could feel himself gaining control of his body. His eyes slowly flutter open. He can feel the sun's rays hitting his face. He groans and holds his head, sitting up. Dull pain runs down his spine as he moves. 

“Be careful. Are you okay? That was quite the fall.” Kazuki asks. He moves a bit to make room for Ranma to sit on the bench that they had been occupying. Ranma adjusts himself to get more comfortable and looks around at the two that had saved him. Kazuki. Hiiro. They were probably the same age as him. He could tell from their Tensei Academy uniforms. They were in the high school division based on the color of their ties. It makes Ranma wonder why they were here in this part of town when they live a ways away from here. 

“Um, so…” Ranma couldn’t get a word out. He has questions. But his mouth wouldn’t speak. He couldn’t articulate a sentence. He grabs his camera and checks for damage, relieved that there was no internal damage. Only a dent in the frame, and a crack in the outer lens that could be easily fixed with repair. It was his own fault. Action shots were never guaranteed to be safe. 

“What were you doing in the tree? You could have gotten hurt?” Hiiro asks. Hiiro looks down at the camera in Ranma’s hands and speaks again, “Were you taking pictures of something?” 

Ranma panics. What an awful question to be asked in his moment. What was he supposed to say? “Yeah. I was taking pictures of you from up in the tree because I saw your smile and couldn’t resist the shot?” He’d sound creepy. 

It was creepy. Wasn’t it? Oh no. 

Ranma turns off his camera and puts it back into his bag. “I was taking pictures for an assignment. Nature shots, you know? Aesthetics?” Ranma says, feeling the dread on his tongue getting stronger. 

Hiiro looks in amazement. “I knew it. You seemed like the type for that.”  _ Was that meant to be an insult?  _

Ranma stands up from the bench and gives a quick bow. “Thank you for taking care of me. I appreciate the help.” 

“No problem, dude. Just be more careful. You could have been seriously hurt.” Kazuki replies. 

Ranma stands tall and checks himself over before leaving. He moves his feet. No sprains. He stretches his back. A bit of pain. Possible bruising. He lifts his sleeves. He sees a large scrape. Dried blood coating his arm. He sees the large gash on his arm from tree roots and crushed branches. Hiiro and Kazuki stand up and check out the wound. Kazuki removes his bright yellow headband and ties it around Ranma’s arm. Ranma could feel his guilt growing deeper. 

“There. All good. Make sure you get that checked out. Or clean it up real good when you get home. Never know.” Kazuki says, his voice calm and soft. 

Hiiro smiles. “You’re good at that. Did you siblings get hurt a lot, too?” Hiiro asks. His eyes sparkle with admiration. 

Kazuki grins. “Oh yeah. Scraps and knicks. Some broken arms. Even a black eye on rare occasions.” 

Ranma looks at the bandana on his arm. He could see the blood slowly peeking through. He lowers his coat sleeve and grips the cuffs tightly. Humiliating. 

“I’ll return the bandana to you. I promise.” Ranma says. 

Kazuki just waves a hand. “Don’t sweat it. Keep it. I got plenty.” Ranma was doubtful of that. But kept quiet. 

Ranma bows again. He could feel their stares on him but he did his best to ignore it. “Thank you again.” He makes his leave. Holding his bag strap tightly in his hand. Until, he heard the grass shuffling his ears. 

“Hey, wait.” 

Ranma turns and sees Hiiro grabbing his jacket tails. He smiles and pulls out his phone. “Give me your number. We can meet up and play Shadowverse sometime. It would be fun.” 

“I-,” Ranma stutters but Hiiro reaches into his pockets and pulls out Ranma’s phone. He scrolls through the options and puts in his contact information before giving it back. 

“There. We should meet up soon. I’ll text you. Don’t be a stranger.” Hiiro says. He waves to Ranma as he runs back to Kazuki. The two make their way out, heading towards the town. Ranma just sighs and makes his way home. His arm stung real bad. He needs to get it cleaned. 

* * *

  
  


It was late when Ranma reached his home. He was met with the usual dark and empty home. He sits the camera bag on the dining room table and makes his way up to the bathroom. He unwraps the bandana and leaves it in the hallway. 

Turning on the water, he runs his arm over the water. The stinging sensation gets worse, and he sucks in a breath. He watches as his sink is tinted red. He scrubs and scrubs until the blood has come off his skin, and the wound remains. He grabs peroxide and bandages. He takes a deep breath and readies the peroxide. He’s had to do this before. The first time, it felt like acid on his skin. And that was for a much smaller wound. So this would definitely hurt like hell. He poured the peroxide and everything went black. His legs lost feeling and he dropped to his knees. Peroxide all over the floor. He grabs his arm and lets out silent screams. Hisses of pain pass his lips. 

The pain was much more intense than he had expected. It felt like his arm was being ripped off from the inside. He slams his fist against the bathroom floor until the pain begins to cease. With staggered breaths and shaky hands, Ranma reaches for the bandages and begins wrapping them around his arm. He could feel hot tears rolling down his face. A battle won. But a painful memory. 

Pulling himself up, Ranma walks on shaky legs back into the living room. He sits down on the couch and takes out his camera. After everything that’s happened, he still has to go over his photos for class. That part wasn’t a lie. That magpie left him in a world of hurt. But at least he got a great shot. Linking his camera to his laptop, Ranma pulls up his latest photos. 

Rows of photos fill the screen. Failed attempts. Blurred monstrosities. Some were too dark. Too bright. Ranma looks through each one with close inspection. All failures were instantly deleted. Images of flowers. Human interaction. Cloud shapes. Shadow effects. Many were either underwhelming or not to standard. When Ranma got towards the bottom, he was reminded of the pictures of the magpie that caused his fall. 

And the photo of Hiiro, that ended it all. He can still remember it as clearly as when he snapped the photo. How the rays of light bounced off his hair. And the laughter filling the air as his smile broke. A familiar warmth fills his chest. And a heavy unease sits in his stomach. 

Ranma uses his mouse and hovers over the photo options. The option to delete was highlighted. All he had to do was hit the left mouse button. So simple. 

So...why couldn’t he press it? 

_ So you’re finally moving on?  _

Ranma shakes his head. The dreaded voice of guilt creeping upon him. Thoughts of Yuga filling his head with unease. Moving on. Never. He wasn’t worthy of moving on. Not after what he’s done. Ranma closes his laptop and decides to make dinner and get ready for bed. Tomorrow he would have to decide which photo to submit for class. 

Right now, he needed to clear his head. 

* * *

  
  


He overslept. In a sweep of panic, Ranma ran around his house preparing for his day to start, and end as soon as possible. Late mornings were signs of a bad day ahead. He was dreading the events to occur. He’s already burnt his toast and misplaced his keys. And it's only been 20 minutes. Sighing, Ranma grabs his laptop and places it in his bag before heading out. He was going to be late. And he’s yet to decide on a photo to turn in. He knew he’d have to do it when he got to school, but that would also deduct points since it would be considered late. 

What rotten luck. 

Upon arriving at school, Ranma had a run-in with the student council president. He was scolded for arriving late and was said to be receiving a punishment that has yet to be decided. Ranma was annoyed but decided to let it slide for now. He knew deep down the president was just doing his job.

His teacher was also disappointed that his assignment was late, and asked him to submit a photo before he started his classwork. Ranma wasn’t sure which photo he submitted. He chose in such a rush. He was sure any of the photos would do since he had already removed the displeasing ones from his memory card. So he should still receive a good score. All that was left was to survive the rest of the day. 

He prayed to the Gods above that it would get easier from here. 

His prayers were not answered. Not at all. 

After classes ended for the day, Ranma was called back to his photography class for a quick discussion. He had a feeling that he knew what it was about. He was almost sure that his teacher was not satisfied with the photo and would ask him to explain himself on a photo he wasn’t even sure he submitted. It was a disaster. 

This day couldn’t get any worse. 

Ranma meets with his teacher at his desk. The teacher pulls out Ranma’s portfolio and opens it to the latest page. He shows Ranma the photo that he has chosen to display for the assignment: Hope. 

It was a photo of Hiiro. Sunbeams and smiles. Ranma felt himself growing more and more self-conscious. He looks back at Ranma and smiles. 

“Why did you choose this photo, Ranma? What does this photo make you feel?” He asks. 

Ranma wants to remove the photo from the album and apologize for his stupid actions. He had hoped from the several photos that were left, it'd be an actual photo that he put effort into. Not this. Not this selfish portrait. He also didn’t want anyone else to see this photo. He wasn’t sure why. 

“What do I feel?” Ranma repeats. He feels his fingers twitching against his bag strap. “I feel that...it was not the right choice for this assignment. I’m sorry.” 

Ranma frowns, bowing to his teacher. Wasting his time. A photo meant to symbolize hope. No doubt his peers chose actual symbolism that was better placed. Family. Doctors. Friendship. Anything that wasn’t creepy. But his teacher never stopped smiling. 

“On the contrary, Ranma.” The teacher places the photo back into the portfolio with care. “Your photo is unconventional. An unexpected choice for your vision of hope. I can sense sentimentality. A Romantic aura. Not to mention the atmosphere around the photo. The timing of dusk, the setting sun. And the magpie becoming friends with a chosen individual. Relativity between animals and humanity. A different sense of hope. I didn’t expect that from anyone in this assignment. So I’m rather surprised.

“But why do you seem to dislike the piece? You took the shot for a reason, did you not? As a photographer you know the meaning behind every photo is a feeling. A need to take the shot. So, why are you regretting your choice?” 

Ranma was about to speak when his phone buzzed in his pockets. Grabbing his phone, he checks to see who was contacting him. 

_ Unknown: Hey!! It's Hiiro, from the other day. I’m sorry if you’re busy, but I was hoping that we could hang out today. Me and Kazuki will be at the Castle Card Shop if you want to stop by. Also, I really hope this is your number. I put it in my phone so fast I’m worried I may have put it in wrong. So reply when you see this. And maybe I’ll see you around.  _

Ranma puts his phone away and looks back at his teacher, “I’m sorry about that.” 

“That’s quite alright. But please, why do you dislike the photo?” 

“It’s not that I dislike the photo. It was just meant to be more...personal.” Ranma admits. He can feel his cheeks heating up. He didn’t want to admit that, but it was true. The photo was not meant to be used for any kind of assignment. But an act of whim. An unforgettable moment in time. 

“Ah, I understand. But, Ranma I want you to remember. Sometimes, even our own precious moments in time can be works of art. So, I want you to decide if you want to change your photo, or leave it alone. Let me know by tomorrow.” 

Ranma can feel his world stagnating. Personal feelings over professionalism. Ranma had already decided to not let his personal feelings overtake his photo work. But now, he’s beginning to slip. Every day he seems closer to slipping. 

As he leaves the classroom, he takes out his phone again and checks the message again from Hiiro. 

He replies:  _ “Not today.” _

* * *

  
  
The sky was getting cloudy. Ranma adjusts his camera as he looks up at the ever-changing sky. He was lying down on the long slide in the abandoned park of Aibo. It wasn’t exactly conventional, but no one came by here so it was quiet. He took several pictures of the moving sky. The sound of the shutter calming him. A moment in time, each picture a memory. Replace the bad memories with good memories, or even bittersweet ones. Anything is better than a bad memory. 

That awful day still flashes back in Ranma’s mind: like movie stills, it’s corrupted by time. He sees the frames corrode and degrade as they pass by. A never ending motion picture in his head of despair. Would the memory one day go away if it were to erode enough? Would he forget about it all: The pain, the sadness, his friend. Ranma almost wishes that were true. But he knew it was for naught to think so. 

Yuga Mikado. Once his best friend, now strangers to the world. After moving away to America with his family to be closer to his father, Yuga has been making a name for himself in the states. As of right now, he’s one of the top 5 Buddyfighters in the world right now, with his father in the Top 3. An admirable feat, for sure. However, the thought made Ranma both envious and depressed. Yuga doesn’t need him in his life to climb the ranks. To experience the world with stars in your eyes, all on your own accord. Ranma was jealous, but not surprised by the way things have turned out. 

He wasn’t destined for the world of Buddyfight. With his past involvements with criminal activity, as well as his connection to Lost World. Ranma knew his fate would be to separate himself entirely from the card game. 

To say it isn't fair would be far fetched. Ranma knew the consequences. But rather, he hates how the world has played him out. To one day having fun with his friends; to studying photography and cinematic media. A truly tragic fate. To be able to look back on his memory and see himself in the role of a villain, a coward. Unable to change the course of history. 

  
  


“Hey...it’s you.” 

Ranma could see specks of red from the camera’s lens. He moves the camera away from his face to see a familiar face. Hiiro looks down at him from the edge of the slide. His usual Tensei Academy uniform takes in the sun’s light, similarly to a Halo effect. He shined bright in the setting sun. Sitting up from the slide, Ranma was met face to face with Hiiro. He was unsure as to why he was here.

“What are you doing here?” Ranma asks. 

Hiiro stands tall and adjusts his bag. “We just finished up at Card Capital. They had an interesting selection of card packs.” 

Ranma put his camera around his neck and stood up. He realizes that Hiiro is alone today. His friend was no longer with him. How strange. 

“Where’s your friend? Is he not with you today?” Ranma asks. 

“Ah, Kazuki? He went on ahead. He has to call home to check on his siblings.” Hiiro replies. 

_ Ah. _ He was a family man. Admirable. “So, what about you? What are you still doing out? Why not just go back with him?” 

Hiiro shrugs his shoulders. “Kazuki doesn’t need me to guide him. Besides, our trip will be over soon. So I want to see as much as possible.” 

Trip? So, he’s here on a class trip. That makes more sense considering the uniform. “How much longer do you have left?” Ranma asks.

“About 2 days. At the end of the week. We should be finishing up with our group stuff to move on to free for all. We still have restrictions of course. But a lot of people will probably just see the sights, maybe play some Shadowverse in the mixed stadiums. You know?” 

There it was again. Shadowverse. I’ve heard about it as a popular card game rising up. It was more digital than Buddyfight was. No physical cards needed, just a system database you can collect from. But the fights are very similar to Buddyfight, but more a digital CCG game. It was very interesting from what Ranma has seen on Paltube. 

“Do you play Shadowverse? I don’t think I got the chance to ask last time. I tried looking you up in the game by your phone number but nothing came up.” 

“No I don’t. I...I gave up card games a long time ago.” Ranma feels his body closing in. This anxiety at just the thought of a game having meaning to him again. Especially moving on to a new game entirely. “It’s a long story.” 

“No worries. But if you want, we can go get some food and you can talk about it. I don’t mean to pry, but I think Shadowverse would be something great for you. I can see you having a lot of fun with it.” Hiiro proposes. A certain gleam in his eyes made Ranma choke on his own insecurities. But there was something about Hiiro that piqued Ranma’s interests. So he felt like declining was unfavorable. 

“Yeah. Sure. Why not?” Ranma accepts. He puts his camera away and the two make their way to Mikono Cafe. 

* * *

  
  


“Ranma, how are you? I haven’t seen you in a few months.” 

Miko stood between Ranma and Hiiro at their table, notepad in her hand and a smile on her face. Ranma can admit that he hasn’t spoken to Miko enough since Yuga left. He’s distanced himself from her quite a bit. He was always worried that if he were to come by too often, that she would pry into his thoughts, or he’d run into Masato or Subaru. He wasn’t ready for that. 

“Hey, Miko. It’s been a crazy few days.” 

Miko’s smile changes to a half-smile, and she looks between Ranma and Hiiro. She did not recognize Hiiro. So she was a bit surprised.

“What’s your name? I don’t believe we met.” Miko asks. “My name is Miko Mikano.” 

“Hiiro Ryugazaki. I’m from Tensei Academy. It’s nice to meet you.” Hiiro replies. “Do you play Shadowverse?” 

Miko shakes her head. “No, I don’t. I’m a Buddyfighter, sorry.” 

“That’s okay. It seems more popular down here than where I’m from. Back home everyone plays Shadowverse. I don’t think Buddyfight is as popular there. But it would be cool to see that happen.” 

Silence fell over them as Hiiro finished speaking. He was content with his words. But Miko and Ranma felt a bit of pressure on them. Miko was still a powerful Buddyfighter. She and Dan would Buddyfight on Paltube against each other from time to time. She has more wins overall but Dan has gotten stronger as well from battling her so often. 

“A-Ah, anyway. What would you guys like to eat? It’s on me.” Miko asks. Her voice was shaky, but she seemed happy nonetheless. 

“Are you sure? That’s so nice of you. I wish Kazuki had been able to join us. He loves this kind of thing.” 

Hiiro had a radiant smile as he thought of his friend. Ranma felt a ping of envy. 

Miko giggles and writes something down on her notepad. “I’m sure he does. Everyone loves a free meal.” She tears the note out and walks away, handing it to her mother in the kitchen. Did they even get to order? Ranma shrugs and focuses his attention back to Hiiro who was playing with the odds and ends on the table. 

“Why did you give up on card games?” Hiiro asks. Right out with it. He didn’t waste any time bringing the mood down to a heavy air. Ranma avoids Hiiro's gaze as he takes a long sip of his drink, his throat suddenly dry and aching. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But you don’t seem like the kind of guy to just drop something that you love without a good reason.” 

It’s true. Even now, Ranma loves Buddyfight. He has to fight himself almost every day to not grab his old deck from his desk drawer, run to card capital, and challenge the first damn person he sees. But to hold that deck again would be accepting that things are over. That he was wrong to abandon hope. That he was weak to the game, that he needed Buddyfight for his own validation. 

Not like it matters. He doesn’t have a buddy anymore. He’s still back to square one. 

“Something happened between myself and a dear friend of mine. I don’t want to get too much into detail about it. But the argument left me broken. And I don’t want to involve myself in a game that reminds me of him too much. It only brings hurt.” 

Hiiro listened, taking sips of his soda as he did. He didn’t say a word as Ranma spoke. But his face was neutral. He did not lean one way or the other, which made Ranma nervous. He couldn’t tell if Hiiro was going to agree with him. That his choices were valid. Or if he was going to take his leave right then and there because he realized that Ranma was not the kind of person he thought he was. 

“You know,” Hiiro starts. “Friendship is rough. You can be best friends with someone for years, and still want to knock their lights out once in a while.” Ranma and Hiiro look into each other's eyes. Ranma feels himself shrinking, getting smaller and folding into a ball on the bench of their table. But Hiiro continues, “However, there is definitely something else to this. I still don’t know the whole story, but you seemed to have some kind of build-up trauma. And your poor friend was the dartboard who received each dart of sadness you threw at him. A bull's eyes of pain. Right in the heart. You left him pretty hurt. I can tell. You left yourself hurt.” 

Ranma’s blood ran cold. He could feel the world around him closing in. The light faded until it was only Hiiro staring at him from across the table. He was right. He was...right.

Right? 

“But, you know?” Hiiro smiles. “It’s up to you to find the faults in yourself and change for the better. Maybe your friend will learn to forgive you, too. You shouldn’t let something like that stop you from doing something you love. Besides, I think he’d want you to keep playing. If you had stayed on the same path, I’m sure you would have seen each other again on the playing field. Your feelings will reach each other there.

And if not, maybe you can pick up a whole new game. Shadowverse is such an interesting game. I learn new things all the time. Fighting players all over the place, learning new strategies, seeing new cards and deck types. Everyone is so interesting and fun to play against. I mean, yeah. There are some people that play for the wrong reasons but nothing in the world is perfect. But I think you’d really enjoy it. Plus, the cards aren’t physical. They’re all digital. No physical reminders.” 

Buddyfight. Shadowverse. It’s all the same. A game. A game that will only lead to darkness. Ranma could go back to Buddyfighting with his friends, or playing Shadowverse with a new group of people. And he will come back to the same result, a need to excel and grow with someone by his side. But not too little that he gets left behind once again, and not too much that he hears the whispers of darkness to do anything to succeed. It’s an irreversible cycle of pain. 

Ranma imagines what it would be like to join Hiiro in his game of Shadowverse. What would happen? Would they get close and become good friends? Would they fight together and learn new things with each battle? Would they too spiral into a deep rivalry that goes too far? Would he hurt Hiiro too? 

Ranma imagines Hiiro standing in darkness. Tears rolling down his cheeks with a sad smile on his face. Looking at Ranma, he says,  _ “Maybe I was wrong.” _

Without realizing it, Ranma too was crying. Both in his dissociative daydream, but in reality. Hot tears roll down his cheeks and onto his palms. Hiiro reaches over the table and lays a hand over Ranma’s and looks at him with concern. 

“Are you okay?” 

Ranma froze. His blood was pumping. He stares on in fear. He looks at Hiiro…

And only sees Yuga. 

“Yuga” was looking at him with concern, which soon turned to disgust. He clicks his tongue and turns away. “You’ve gotten so weak, Ranma.”

_ No. _

“All this time, these three years since we’ve been apart. You’ve turned into such a coward. And not only that, but you’re dragging a junior into your problems? How much more pathetic can you get? What happened to the Ranma I used to know?” 

Ranma grabs his bag and is soon running out of Mikono cafe. That face. That awful face. His disgust. His disappointment. It was the one thing Ranma feared most. Seeing Yuga look at him with that face,  _ those eyes.  _ Ranma felt a chill go down his side, clutching his bag harder he ran faster. 

* * *

When Ranma returned home, he had several missed messages from Hiiro. As well as from Miko. The scene he caused at Mikono Cafe will no doubt be the gossip of the shop for the next few weeks. Ranma made a mental note to not go in for a while. Again. 

After what happened with Hiiro, Ranma doesn’t see himself going out in public much, let alone out to eat. So that shouldn’t be much of a problem in itself. 

Self-isolation. Ranma has been doing it for this long. He can handle it for the rest of his life. Yes. 

_ This is fine.  _

Ranma throws his bag down in front of the door and grabs his camera bag. Sitting down on the couch, Ranma quickly flips through some of his earlier shots. Beautiful atmospheric shots. Flower aesthetics. Portrait shots of passersby. Ranma felt himself slowly coming down from his anxious state. 

And then there was Hiiro. His picture of Hiiro with the magpie. His radiant face. His sunshine smile. Takoyaki still on his lips from his earlier bite. He was perfectly content. The world around him was his own. Serene. Angelic. 

Better off without Ranma in it. 

Ranma sighs. Turning off the camera, he sets aside on his coffee table. That didn’t help at all. His camera usually helps relieve his stress.  _ Why hadn’t he deleted the photo yet?  _

Ranma’s phone vibrates again. Another missed message. And another. And another.  _ How many times is he going to text him in a minute?  _

It was getting late. Ranma decides to continue to ignore the outside world and everyone’s existence and make himself a light dinner. Depression does not cure an empty stomach. Ranma grabbed the ingredients he needed and made himself breakfast for dinner. Tamagoyaki and rice. The smell in the air made Ranma’s stomach growl louder. He set his plate down at the table and took a breath. 

“Thank you for the meal.” Ranma reaches for his chopsticks but is stopped by his phone vibrating for the final time. Ranma looks over and his phone and eyes the device for a moment before finally picking it up and looking over the messages. Several missed messages. 

_ Hiiro:  _

_ Ranma!!!! _

_ Hey Ranma? Are you okay?  _

_ Please respond! _

_ I know we’re not close friends or anything. _

_ But you can still talk to me. _

_ I didn’t mean to hurt you the way I did. _

_ Did I say something wrong? _

_ You looked really freaked out. _

_ Like you’d seen a ghost. _

_ But I wasn’t trying to push you into anything. I really do want you to be happy. The world of card games is really great. You know better than anyone. I’m sure. _

_ But maybe I’m overstepping my boundaries? Maybe I’m trying to control you into doing something you don’t really want to do?  _

_ Is that it?  _

_ Am I really that ugly a person?  _

_ I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.  _

_ I just love Shadowverse so much. I thought if you played too. Maybe I could see you smile for real. _

_ But I made you cry instead.  _

With each message Ranma read, he felt more awful for leaving the way he did. Hiiro was just as anxious over this as he was. He was thinking so selfishly. Thinking that Hiiro would be fine, unaffected by this interaction. But his heart broke when he read the last message. 

_ Do you hate me now?  _

Without thinking Ranma pushed the call button on his phone and put the phone to his ear. He could hear the phone ringing, and it was so loud. But so agonizingly slow. 

Ring. Ring. Ring. 

_ “Ranma! Are you okay? I’m so sorry for what I said,” _ Hiiro answers, immediately bursting into an apology. But is cut off when Ranma speaks next. 

“Are you stupid?” 

_ “Huh?!”  _

Ranma bites his lip and closes his eyes. He feels the image of Yuga creeping up on him but he pushes it down and perseveres. This wasn’t Yuga. This was Hiiro. 

Stop pushing him away because of your past, you fucking idiot.

“You’re pushing yourself into a place you shouldn’t even be. You’re taking the blame for something that isn’t even your fault. Apologizing and apologizing. Blowing up my phone out of fear that you pissed me off. You’re so much like him. Taking the blame. Not seeing the big picture,”

Hiiro stays silent. Ranma could hear his hitched breathing. The anxious, still breathing. 

“You didn’t do anything. You were only trying to help me. But my stubborn head wouldn’t listen. I only saw darkness. It’s always dark with me. I can’t just let people in and allow myself to understand them. And I want to understand you. I want to understand your interests. Shadowverse. Why your laugh makes my stomach flip. Why your smile looks like God is giving me the perfect photo op for my eyes to see alone. Why do you have to stick yourself between a rock and a hard place for someone like me? Why do you continue to fight with me?” 

Hiiro remained silent. Ranma’s head was spinning. He said too much in his outburst. He was so overwhelmed by Hiiro’s messages of anxiety that he spoke without thinking. His only motivation was to make sure that Hiiro wasn’t sad. But he spoke of his own hidden feelings without realizing it. 

“Hiiro, I,” 

_ “I fight with you because I don’t want you to give up.”  _ Hiiro starts. His voice was soft. Cracking. The background on his end sounds busy. Where was he right now?  _ “You remind me of a friend of mine. He was in a lonely state too, a long time ago. He pushed everyone away, only focusing on one person. Everyone else was a secondary character. But I didn’t give up on him. I wanted to be his friend so badly, and battle him as often as possible because when you battle someone you can see their feelings. Their thoughts. Their desires. I didn’t want to give up on him like he gave up on the world.” _

This time they both remained silent. In the end, they were the same. Both seeing another person in each other. Not as a replacement but as a chance to right a wrong. A selfish reason. But Ranma understood the feeling all too well. 

“So we’re both lonely.” 

_ “No, I’m not lonely. I have wonderful friends.”  _

“Thanks, Hiiro.”

_ “No, that’s not all I was going to say. You have great friends too. Miko was so concerned for you when you ran out of the cafe earlier. She looked so distraught. I felt bad for her. She really seems to care about you. And I’m sure your friends from the past miss you too. You should reach out to them.”  _

“It’s not that easy,” Ranma’s head falls back over the chair and he looks up at the ceiling. “They’re all just a shitty reminder of the person I’ve become. A quitter. I abandoned them when Yuga left. They probably think ill of me now.” 

_ “No, that can’t be true. You’re so nice, Ranma. I don’t want to believe that.” _ Hiiro’s sound shuffles for a few moments before he comes back to the line. _ “I have to go. But please Ranma, don’t push everyone away. You need to look at yourself and ask what you want to do. And you’ll get your answer.”  _

The line goes dead. Ranma’s arm falls at his side and he feels exhausted. His bed was calling for him. But he had to suck it up and eat his dinner. It has long gone cold, but he grabbed his chopsticks and ate anyway. Hiiro’s words running through his head. 

* * *

  
  


The week was coming to an end. Soon another work week would begin. Things would return to a steady normal. 

Hiiro should be returning home today. Knowing a class trip and how they are typically organized, they should be leaving any time now. Before noon at the latest. They are not that far from their hometown, but it is a school night tomorrow, so no doubt they want everyone to get home early enough to settle in before the busy work week ahead.

But, was Ranma satisfied with how things ended with Hiiro? Could he safely say that he hadn’t fucked everything up? After their phone call last night, Ranma thought Hiiro wasn’t upset with him. And he probably isn’t. Hiiro doesn’t seem to be the kind of person that would get upset with someone for having emotions. However, Ranma can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had stayed at the cafe. How differently would his night have ended? Would Hiiro and Ranma have a heart to heart discussion about life? Would Hiiro have opened up about his own experiences with fighting for a friend in darkness? Would they have ended up closer as friends? 

Ranma can’t help but wonder. 

But once Hiiro has left on that bus back home, Ranma will never see him again. Hiiro and Ranma live in different worlds. Cities apart, with different lives. Different ambitions. Ranma knows with all his heart that Hiiro will become a very powerful Shadowverse player. He’ll travel the world in tournaments and win all kinds of titles. Just like Yuga will. No doubt. Meanwhile, he will stay here in ChouTokyo and continue his degree in media and film. 

Everyone drifts off into their own distant futures. 

_ Was this really okay? _

Unrest sets in on Ranma’s legs. They bounce in place as he sits on his living room couch. An unsettling feeling rises in Ranma’s stomach. He can’t hold himself back anymore. He has to find Hiiro. 

Getting up from the couch, he grabs his camera bag and leaves the house. He has no idea where he’s going, or where Hiiro even is right now. But he has a desperate need to see him. He was sure he would find him. 

He hoped he would find him.

  
  
  


Walking through the streets of ChouTokyo, Ranma looks at the people around him. Buddyfight battles being played by young children. Adults walking aimlessly from point A to point B. Food vendors selling delicious food to anyone who would listen. Buddy police officers patrolling the area, keeping the city safe. 

Then, there was Ranma. Walking aimlessly through life. Through the streets. Waiting for an answer to fall into his lap. He didn’t want to put in the effort to find his own solution. He just wants to live, to feel needed by someone. Get a job and live out his life as minimalistically as possible until the arms of death take him to the afterlife. And he can breathe. 

But until that happens, he will walk these streets and hope that this one person is still around. That he hasn’t left town yet and he can see him one last time before the world separates them. 

Arriving at the place where it all began; the large tree in the family park overlooking the ocean. The sunshine sparkles over the waters making everything seem more serene and peaceful. A false sense of hope. Ranma walks up to the tree and sits down against the large trunk, the shade overcasting him in a cool embrace. Leaning his head back against the bark, Ranma tries to cool his head. He realizes why he’s out here and the thought makes his heart race. He’s chasing after a high school kid from another city. He has no business following after him like this. He was being super creepy. 

But still, there was a reason Hiiro came into his life at this point in time. With Yuga so heavily on his mind, is there a reason? Why was Hiiro introduced to him? What did the Gods have in store for him with this one? Will this one leave him too? Walk out of his life and disappear without a trace? Ranma was fearful. 

Ranma didn’t feel himself drifting off, but his eyes slowly began drooping and darkness overtook him. 

He awoke to someone shaking him awake. He could feel two hands on him, shaking him gently. He slowly opens his eyes to see two figures in front of him. As his vision clears, he can make out who they were. 

“Hiiro! Kazuki!” Ranma says, quickly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“We should be asking you that.” Kazuki retorts. “You shouldn’t sleep outside. You’ll get sick.” 

_ Is this paternal instinct? _

“I came out to,” But Ranma stops himself. He can’t outright admit that he was looking all over the city for Hiiro. That’s just an invitation to be ridiculed. He had to come up with something. Anything. “I, uh, came out to clear my head.” 

“Yeah, you looked pretty bad yesterday,” Hiiro adds, nodding his head. 

“What happened yesterday?” Kazuki asks. He was completely out of the loop. 

Hiiro and Ranma both remain silent. Hiiro didn’t want to say anything, because he felt it wasn’t his place to say. And Ranma wasn’t sure if he wanted to bring up Yuga again after everything that happened. 

“It was nothing,” Ranma replies. Standing up, he looks at his juniors and smiles. Holding up his camera he asks. “Enough of that. Model for me?” 

Hiiro and Kazuki look at Ranma with disbelief and confusion. “Ehhh?!” 

* * *

“Why the hell are we doing this again?” Kazuki asks, blushing as he tries to strike a pose. 

Ranma, behind the camera, rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” 

“I know, but Hiiro is going to do one, so I want to do one too.” Kazuki points out. He sighs and tries to loosen himself up. He was too stiff. He shakes his arms and legs, and does his best to clear his mind. 

“Just do what you feel comfortable doing. This isn’t a professional shoot, you know.” Ranma lowers the camera. “When you look at this place, what is the first thing that you want to do?” 

Kazuki’s face lights up with sudden awe. He hadn’t put himself in that mindstate until Ranma said that. So, he thinks for a moment. Looking around, Kazuki takes in his surroundings. The beautiful grass was cut perfectly beneath him. Families and children run around and play together. Benches overlooking the water…

“I want to look out at the ocean and find the answers to my problems.” 

That was an unexpected answer. Even Hiiro was dumbstruck by Kazuki’s words. Kazuki walks over the cliffside and overlooks the water. His hair blows gently in the breeze, his tie scattering with the rhythm. He reaches out to touch the sun in his hands and smiles. Time stops and Ranma grabs his camera and takes the shot. 

_ Click. _

Manifest Destiny. Those words came to mind when Ramna saw the resulting image on his camera roll. Kazuki was reaching forward, expanding his horizons to oncoming possibilities. He reminds Ranma a lot of himself. Doing something you love with your best friend, doing everything you can to support each other, but also using all of your strength to achieve your own dreams. Sometimes, even your friends have to fall to get to what you’re after. Kazuki was aware of that fact. 

Kazuki looks back at Ranma who was admiring the photo that he managed to capture. He blushes with anxiety, “Hey, wait. I was zoning out. I wasn’t even ready.” 

“Nonsense, this is perfect.” Ranma looks up and smiles. “Thank you, Kazuki.” 

Kazuki nearly explodes from embarrassment. 

Hiiro laughs. This was a rare occurrence for Kazuki. He’s usually so calm and ready for anything. So this was a nice change of pace. 

“Hiiro,” Ranma starts. He looks over at the red and black-haired boy and smiles. “When you look at this place, what’s the first thing you want to do?” 

“Oh, that’s easy!” Hiiro beams. Hiiro sits down on the ground and lies back, spreading his arms and legs. He relaxes into the grass, practically melting. “I wanted to do this really badly. Just sit in the grass and relax. It feels so cool against my skin.” 

Hiiro has his eyes closed, a soft dusting of pink on his cheeks. His clothes were disheveled, but his body was limp and relaxed. He looks up at Ranma and giggles. “The grass is so prickly. It tickles.” 

Ranma felt his heart skip multiple beats. He had to stop himself from holding his chest from the amount of cute energy that Hiiro was giving off. Ranma grabs his camera and walks over to Hiiro and tries to figure out the best angle to take the shot. A lot of the angles that he chose were nice, but not the one that screams “take the shot” to him. He steps over Hiiro so that each of his feet are on either side of him. He kneels down slightly and aims the camera. Hovering over him, Ranma tries to keep a steady hand. Hiiro follows Ranma’s gaze on him. He smiles softly and relaxes completely. Ranma smiles back and takes the shot. 

Click. 

He lowers the camera and looks down at Hiiro. A leaf had blown onto his nose and Hiiro was eyeing it closely. He was trying to blow the leaf off by breathing but it was ineffective. Ranma reaches down and removes the leaf and asks, “Stay still.” 

Hiiro felt his face tense. He wasn’t sure what was going on. But Ranma was acting differently. Like this was a whole new Ranma. Does this happen often when he gets in the zone to take pictures? 

Ranma lies down on his stomach at Hiiro’s right side. He gives the leaf to Hiiro, and the boy looks at him in confusion. “Hold it up and look at it.” 

Hiiro does as he is told and holds the leaf. As he does, he sees the sun’s rays hitting the leaf and casting a halo effect. The leaf looks like it's glowing. Hiiro smiles fondly. He still hasn’t understood how Ranma’s mind works. How he can see these kinds of things in his head and make them a reality. Truly admirable. 

_ Click. _

Ranma looks at the image on his camera and slowly sits up. The large tree cast a brilliant shadow over Hiiro’s body, and the leaf had its own natural halo around it from the sun’s light. It was a beautiful photo. A moment in time. A memory that Ranma never wants to forget. 

“Let me see it.” Hiiro says. Crawling over to sit next to Ranma. Kazuki stands behind the two and leans on Ranma to see the results as well. Ranma flips through the photos he’s taken and the two Tensei Academy boys are stunned at how well they came out. A simple photo truly has the power to stop time. 

It had been quite some time since the boys started talking, but Kazuki was the one to break the ties. He checks his watch and shoots up. “Ah shit. Hiiro, we’re going to be late. We gotta go.”

Kazuki freaks out and grabs his bag and gives a quick wave to Ranma. “This was fun, Ranma. Maybe we’ll see you around again someday.” 

Ranma wants to say something as well: A friendly goodbye, a protest of “stay longer, don’t leave”, or anything that would make this tightness in his chest go away. The thought of never seeing Hiiro again made his heartache so much. 

All he could do was wave. A sad smile on his face. He watches them get smaller and smaller in his view of sight before he lowers his hand and the smile fades.


End file.
